When Honey was not working, she would go off and explore Memphis by herself. She visited Graceland, where Elvis Presley had lived, and walked down Beale Street, where the blues started. She wandered through the Pink Palace Museum, and the Planetarium, with its roaring, stomping dinosaur. She went to the aquarium.
And Honey was always alone.
She was unaware that her life was about to change drastically.
Honey knew that many of her classmates were having love affairs. They discussed it constantly at school.
“Have you gone to bed with Ricky yet? He’s the best…!”
“Joe is really into orgasms…”
“I was out with Tony last night. I’m exhausted. What an animal! I’m seeing him again tonight…”
Honey stood there listening to their conversations, and she was filled with a bittersweet envy, and a feeling that she would never know what sex was like. Who would want me? Honey wondered.
One Friday night, there was a school prom. Honey had no intention of going, but her father said, “You know, I’m concerned. Your sisters tell me that you’re a wall-flower, and that you’re not going to the prom because you can’t get a date.”
Honey blushed. “That’s not true,” she said. “I do have a date, and I am going.” Don’t let him ask who my date is, Honey prayed.
He didn’t.
Now Honey found herself at the prom, seated in her usual corner, watching the others dancing and having a wonderful time.
And that was when the miracle occurred.
Roger Merton, the captain of the football team and the most popular boy at school, was on the dance floor, having a fight with his girlfriend. He had been drinking.
“You’re a no-good, selfish bastard!” she said.
“And you’re a dumb bitch!”
“You can go screw yourself.”
“I don’t have to screw myself, Sally. I can screw somebody else. Anyone I want to.”
“Go ahead!” She stormed off the dance floor.
Honey could not help but overhear.
Merton saw her looking at him. “What the hell are you staring at?” He was slurring his words.
“Nothing,” Honey said.
“I’ll show the bitch! You think I won’t show her?”
“I…yes.”
“Damn right. Let’s have a li’l drink.”
Honey hesitated. Merton was obviously drunk. “Well, I don’t…”
“Great. I have a bottle in the car.”
“I really don’t think I…”
And he had Honey’s arm and was steering her out of the room. She went along because she did not want to make a scene and embarrass him.
Outside, Honey tried to pull away. “Roger, I don’t think this is a good idea. I…”
“What the hell are you—chicken?”
“No, I…”
“Okay, then. Come on.”
He led her to his car and opened the door. Honey stood there a moment.
“Get in.”
“I can only stay a moment,” Honey said.
She got in the car because she did not want to upset Roger. He climbed in beside her.
“We’re going to show that dumb broad, aren’t we?” He held out a bottle of bourbon. “Here.”
Honey had had only one drink of alcohol before and she had hated it. But she did not want to hurt Roger’s feelings. She looked at him and reluctantly took a small sip.
“You’re okay,” he said. “You’re new at school, huh?”
Honey was in three of his classes. “No,” Honey said. I…”
He leaned over and began to play with her breasts.
Startled, Honey pulled away.
“Hey! Come on. Don’t you want to please me?” he said.
And that was the magic phrase. Honey wanted to please everybody, and if this was the way to do it…
In the uncomfortable backseat of Merton’s car, Honey had sex for the first time, and it opened an incredible new world to her. She did not particularly enjoy the sex, but that was not important. The important thing was that Merton enjoyed it. In fact, Honey was amazed by how much he enjoyed it. It seemed to make him ecstatic. She had never seen anyone enjoy anything so much. So this is how to please a man, Honey thought.
It was an epiphany.
Honey was unable to get the miracle of what had occurred out of her mind. She lay in bed, remembering Merton’s hard maleness inside her, thrusting faster and faster, and then his moans, “Oh, yes, yes…Jesus, you’re fantastic, Sally…”